Past General Assembly presidents voice concern at threat of UN's marginalization
Regional-UN, Politics, 11/19/2004

A group of past Presidents of the General Assembly yesterday voiced their concern at the growing threat of marginalization of the United Nations and called for its main deliberative and legislative body to uphold the principle of international legitimacy by requiring Member States to comply with UN resolutions.

The call by the Council of Presidents of the General Assembly of the United Nations came in a communique issued at the end of its annual three-day meeting in New York.

The statement said the Council is deeply concerned that the rule of law is at risk around the world, and reiterated the principle "that no one, and no State, is above the law, and no one should be denied its protection." Every nation that proclaims the rule of law at home must respect it abroad, and every nation that insists on it abroad must enforce it at home.

It said "all States -- strong and weak, big and small -- need a framework of fair rules which each can be confident that others will obey," and stressed that such a framework exists in the UN Charter, and called on all countries to respect it, "in letter and in spirit."

The Council also reaffirmed the central role of the United Nations "in preserving and promoting the stability of the international system which has been profoundly affected by the events following the 11 September attacks" against the United States.

The former Assembly Presidents expressed grave concern at the danger of resorting to unilateralism in international affairs and called for a renewed commitment to multilateral action through the United Nations.

The Council was established in November 1997 with the objective of giving the world body the benefit of their diplomatic and international experience to support the United Nations in general and the General Assembly in particular.

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